Support — R.L.SAND HOME

We're here when something doesn't fire.

Setup walkthroughs, common HomeKit gotchas, and a form to reach us when you're still stuck. Most issues are HomeKit-side and have known fixes — start below.

On this page

Getting started

Three things have to be true before R.L.SAND HOME can do anything: an active Home in the Apple Home app, a Home Hub on your network, and the HomeKit permission granted to the app on first launch.

Read the full R.L.SAND HOME help guide →

1

Confirm your Home Hub

HomeKit automations only run when there's a Home Hub at home. That's an Apple TV, HomePod, or HomePod mini. Open Apple Home → Home Settings → Home Hubs to verify "Connected".

2

Open the app and grant HomeKit access

On first launch you'll be asked to allow access to your Home data. Without this permission the app can't see your accessories, scenes, or sensors. If you accidentally denied it, fix it in Settings → R.L.SAND HOME.

3

Pick a Home

If you manage more than one Home, pick the active one in the sidebar. The app remembers your choice. Switching Homes always works without losing automations.

4

Build your first automation

Tap + and either type what you want ("turn the porch light on at sunset") or open the wizard. The app validates against your real accessories and scenes before saving.

FAQ

The questions we get most often. If yours isn't here, drop us a note below.

Does this app store my home data on your servers?

No. Your home graph (rooms, accessories, scenes) stays on your device, in HomeKit. Natural-language requests are interpreted on-device using Apple's on-device intelligence (Foundation Models) — your request text never leaves your device, and we keep no AI inference logs.

Why is my automation not firing?

Nine times out of ten it's a Home Hub issue: the hub is offline, on a different network, or hasn't synced the new automation yet. Check Apple Home → Home Settings → Home Hubs. If the hub is "Connected" and the automation still doesn't fire, use the "Why didn't this run?" inspector inside the app — it'll point at the exact missing condition.

Does it work on iPad and Mac?

Yes. The app runs on iPhone (iOS 17+), iPad (iPadOS 17+), and Mac (macOS 14+). The interface adapts to phone, tablet, and desktop layouts — same engine underneath.

Does it work without an internet connection?

Yes — fully. AI parsing runs on-device using Apple's on-device intelligence (Foundation Models), so your words never leave your phone. The automations themselves run on your Home Hub, also offline. The app works offline once it's set up.

I have multiple Homes. Can I switch between them?

Yes. The sidebar shows every Home you have access to. Switching is instant; automations are scoped per Home.

Can it do things the regular Home app can't?

We use the same Apple Home automation engine — Apple keeps some APIs private, so we can't go beyond what Apple exposes to third parties. What we do is make the path easier: pick a template that matches your accessories, or type what you want. Same engine, different door in.

What's the easiest way to create my first automation?

Open Templates. The app reads the accessories you actually have and suggests prebuilt automations that fit — "porch light at sunset," "leave-home all-off," and so on. Tap one to install, tweak if you want, done. No typing, no menu hunting.

Does it sync across my devices?

Yes — opt in to iCloud sync in Settings and your in-app preferences follow you across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Your automations themselves live in Apple Home (which already syncs through Apple's iCloud); the app's iCloud sync covers our own settings on top of that.

What happens if I uninstall the app?

The automations stay. They live in HomeKit, not in our app — we just create them for you. If you reinstall, the app will see them again.

Will there be Android or web versions?

HomeKit is Apple-only, so the app is too — though it runs across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. If your home runs on a non-Apple ecosystem, this isn't the right tool.

How do refunds work?

App Store purchases are refunded by Apple, not by us. reportaproblem.apple.com is the path. If you're stuck, contact us and we'll help you frame the request.

Troubleshooting

The most common issues that account for ~80% of support emails. Try the matching fix before sending us a note — it usually works.

Accessory not visible in the app

Open Apple Home and confirm the accessory shows there. If it doesn't, it's a HomeKit pairing issue (re-add the device). If it shows in Apple Home but not us, force-quit our app and relaunch — the HomeKit cache sometimes lags by a few seconds.

Automation doesn't fire

Use the "Why didn't this run?" button on the automation card. The inspector lists every condition and which one failed. The most common culprit is a sensor that hasn't reported in 24+ hours.

App crashes on launch

Rare, but happens after some HomeKit migrations. Settings → R.L.SAND HOME → Reset Cache, then relaunch. If the crash persists, send the crash log via the Contact form below.

Contact support

Tell us what's happening. The form prefills the technical bits we'd otherwise have to ask you for, which makes triage much faster.

We'll reply to the email you provide above.